Climate Change and the Chepangs: Issues, Social Vulnerability Levels and

Community Based Adaptation Techniquesi

Scientifically, it has been proved that the anthropogenic activities induced climate

change is real and is happening at a higher rate never observed before which is affecting

the lives of the people from around the world, especially those with poor socio-economic

status. As a result of this phenomenon, the indigenous people from across the globe are

socially highly vulnerable to climate change and its consequences as compared to other

people living nearby their settlements due to their high dependency upon, and close

relationship, with the environment and its resources.

The present study conducted in the Chepang settlements of the Kankada VDC of

Makawanpur district of Nepal will elaborate on how social vulnerability level of the

Chepangs, categorized as one of the highly marginalized 59 indigenous nationalities of

Nepal, is very high towards climate change and its consequences. By collecting the

voices of thirty male and thirty female Chepang respondents, this research tries to focus

on major climate change driven changes taken place in Kankada VDC during past 20

years and changing livelihood preference patterns among Chepang communities during

the same time period for assessing their social vulnerability level. Additionally, the

researcher will discuss on how Chepangs’ social vulnerability level is high towards such

changes due to their dependency on environmental resources for sustaining their lives,

poor socio-economic status, poor housing structures, poor educational status, political

marginalization. The study will further discuss on how Chepangs’ indigenous technical

knowledge and skills have been playing a vital role in their local response to such

changes.

The study will categorize overall research findings into six major categories for giving

readers and audiences more opportunities to explore and view social vulnerability level

among the Chepangs from diverse prospective. The study will first elaborate on why in

general Chepangs are highly socially vulnerable to climate change driven changes. Then,

the study will discuss their vulnerability level by linking the impacts of climate change

i An Abstract accepted for the Workshop for Young Researchers 2013; January 01-02, 2013; Kathmandu; Nepal

resulted changes on Chepangs’ lives with respect to their food security standards,

available water resources, available forest resources, their access to health care

facilities, Chepang women’s access to resources. Finally, the study will discuss on

Chepangs’ community based adaptation techniques towards such changes.